The top player on the PGTI OOM to receive DP World Tour card
The DP World Tour and PGA TOUR jointly announced today a new partnership with the TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India (TATA Steel PGTI) which includes a commitment to developing golf in India and a pathway for the country’s top players to reach the highest levels of the men’s professional game.
As part of the global pathway system, the leading player—not otherwise exempt—on the 2022 TATA Steel PGTI Rankings will earn membership onto the DP World Tour for the following season beginning with the DP World Tour’s 2023 campaign.
The next highest ranked non-exempt player in the top ten on the rankings will earn a spot in the Final Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School, while a further three players will earn spots into the Second Stage.
As per a tweet from Joy Chakravarty, the top Indian player will receive Category 16 card for the 2023 season. In general Category 16 can be explained as – The leading player not otherwise exempt from each of the nominated Season’s Order of Merit from the PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour, CGA, KPGA, Japan Tour and PGTI (newly added).
Have just been confirmed that the @pgtofindia Order of Merit champion will get a Category 16 membership on @DPWorldTour. It’s not the best (no chance of getting into big-money events), but still get to play a lot of events through the year. The next highest ranked non-exempt player in the top ten on the rankings will earn a spot in the Final Stage of the DP World Tour Q School, while three more will earn spots into the Second Stage.
— Joy Chakravarty (@TheJoyofGolf) December 16, 2022
This is a huge development for our golfers and the tour who had started losing OWGR points due to the new system. The players will continue to receive the same points for their wins and finishes but an added advantage would be to finish inside the top-5 or at the top of the Order of Merit to have a chance at becoming DP World Tour members (formerly European Tour).
Additionally, two US$ 300,000 Challenge Tour events – Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge (Mar. 23-26) & The Challenge presented by KGA (Mar. 28-31) have been confirmed to play at Karnataka Golf Association in Bangalore, where top-60 PGTI players will get an opportunity to play in the international events.
Six Indian players have combined 16 titles on the DP World Tour, including four each by Jeev Milka Singh and S.S.P. Chawrasia, the latter whom in 2016 and 2017 claimed consecutive victories at the Hero Indian Open – the event which will return to the DP World Tour’s schedule in 2023 after a four- year absence due to the global pandemic. Arjun Atwal remains the lone Indian to win on both the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, winning three events on the former Tour before adding the Wyndham Championship to his trophy collection in 2010.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: “Our global pathway system enables players from different international Tours to compete on the DP World Tour, and we are delighted to extend that opportunity to players from the TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India. “We have already seen some terrific players from India establish themselves and win on our Tour, and this partnership will give many more the chance to follow in their footsteps, as well as potentially go on to play on the PGA TOUR too.
“We also look forward to working together with the PGTI and the PGA TOUR to continue to develop golf in India in the years ahead, helping the PGTI to provide a strong platform for golfers in the country.” Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, said, “It’s hard to believe over two decades have passed since Arjun Atwal made history as the first Indian golfer to win on both the European Tour and PGA TOUR. This partnership, which further builds on the additional playing opportunities in the men’s professional game, will help make similar dreams come true for many Indian golfers to come.”
Uttam Singh Mundy, Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Golf Tour of India, said, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, the leading professional golf tours in the world. This new association is a watershed moment for the PGTI as it opens many doors for our professionals on the international stage and is a recognition of the growing stature of Indian professional golf and our tour.”